“Oh my God! Did I just see Cassandra?” In the dressing room, Chloe was watching Selene’s performance on the huge television screen that was hanging on the wall. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, and strangely enough, she wasn’t alone either. Outside the room, at the event venue, various people had their mouths hanging in an "Oh…”They also couldn’t believe what they were seeing, and they even had the same sentiments as Chloe.“Did I just see Cassandra?” The question rang out among the attendees, everyone furiously snapping away with their phones. Due to Cassandra’s demise, the event had become more open than it was supposed to have been. Selene could be seen walking the red carpet in a body-hugging, v-neck straight dress that had a trail as long as that of an extravagant bride. Her hair was fixed in deep curls, the favorite look of Cassandra Hayle, and she pulled it off excellently. Even the stylist did a good job, but Selene took all the praise, as she suddenly turned
“Maya and Declan met when they were both at the young age of fourteen. I remember Dad saying fondly that he saved her from being violated by a trio of rowdy teenagers who would have destroyed her if he hadn’t decided to butt in. You can imagine what he would have looked like when they tried to vent their anger on him.” Chloe gave a low smile and continued, “Mom quickly ran to get help, and when the police arrived, it turned out that the teenagers were well connected. They even came from pretty powerful families. Meanwhile, Maya was just an orphaned waitress who got in their way because she wanted to earn some extra cash Declan became the nosy passerby who got what was coming. Well, the police made light of the issue, and Mom had to beg him to drop the case. After that, one thing led to the other, and Maya became pregnant after three months of dating Declan. You know, Dad was in the city to shoot his first movie, and he was supposed to leave after everything was done. So, Gra
“Dad, Selene’s body is so hot… She… She said I should lock the doors and only call you...” She could tell that the person on the other side was hearing her, after all, she heard the call getting connected just a while ago. However, he didn’t utter a single word in either an affirmation or otherwise. Her father’s silence caused her to wonder if the two were fighting, or even where he could be that he was not able to speak. Before she could shout into the phone out of frustration, she heard a low grunt, and Declan only responded in a few words, “I’ll be there.” Chloe heard a long beeping sound that indicated that the line had been disconnected. She started pacing around in the room, asking if Seleen needed anything. “Would you like some water? Selene, are you sure you don’t want me to call Doctor Leonardo? Can I get you anything?...” So many questions left her lips at the same time, and even she could tell that she wasn’t making any sense right now. “Selene…” Chloe cont
“What just happened?” Selene lay sprawled on the sofa, exhausted from whatever it was that just transpired between her and Declan. Every time she engaged in intimacy with Declan, she would spend the next few minutes relishing in the aftertaste of their sweet lovemaking. However, this time around, the only question that filled her mind was, “What just happened?” Selene was okay after the quickie she just had with Declan, but she was somehow pissed for some reason. She could see him sitting on a chair far away from her, avoiding any skinship or touching her in any way. After they both found their release, she noticed how he quickly pulled away, making it seem as though she was just a fu*king call girl who was there to satiate his need and go away. She wouldn't have thought otherwise if she had not been the one to request Chloe to place the call to Declan earlier. She put on her pants and quickly grabbed her belongings to exit the room. It was obvious that the man didn't
[Ring!][Ring!!][Ring!!!]Selene’s phone continued to ring for the ninth time, yet, she didn’t bother to pick it up. She had been downcast since the day Declan broke up with her. It’s been six days, and she still didn’t know why things turned out this way. When Manager Brent noticed how downcast she was, he tried everything possible to get her to say something, but she wouldn’t.After requesting a three-day leave to see to some personal issues, she ended up taking seven, further pissing off the manager. [Knock!][Knock!!][Knock!!!]An urgent knock on the door compelled her to finally get out of bed and check who it was that came to interrupt her sleep at nine-thirty in the morning. “Chloe…”Selene called out in surprise. She didn’t expect her friend would be able to find her this early.She has moved into the house her father gifted her at Peak Grooves, but she told no one about it.“Wipe that look offf your face.I’m your assistant after all.”She invited herself in after making
“Selene, we both know his intentions are no good. So why are you entertaining him? Besides…” Chloe clammed up when she noticed how disinterested her friend was about everything she was saying. It was as if Selene didn’t care about her observations, and it was getting her worried. “You want to remind me that I already have a man in my life, right?” Selene’s gaze was fixed on her phone when she made the statement. “Well then… Spoiler alert, my dear friend… I’m as single as it gets.” Selene winked at her friend before offering, “You might want to follow me for the rehearsal. I wouldn’t stay here all alone if I were you.” … “Now that the event is over, I believe you won’t be leaving anytime soon, right?” Louis gently tucked a strand of loose hair behind Selene’s ear, being overly suggestive with his actions as usual. Selene also felt his hand brazenly brushing her elbow, before he went ahead to close the gap between them. She remained silent, as though oblivious to what h
“Dad, if you want to get Selene back, I think you need to act now.” Doctor Leonardo read out Chloe’s tet message to Declan, who lay on the sofa as if he wasn’t bothered. His eyes were tightly drawn together, his jaw looking tense, and that was all he needed to know his friend was only pretending not to care. Doctor Leonardo then continued reading without knowing the bomb he was about to drop. After all, it was Declan himself that threw his phone at his friend to take a look at the message Chloe sent him earlier. “I think she wouldn’t be single by the time she returned to Bloomsbay. I’m not joking, Dad. Whatever differences you have need to be sorted out as soon as possible. Are you there?” Leo quickly dropped Declan’s phone and stepped away, doing everything possible to remain invincible. His friend had been in a terrible mood for a while now, and he knew it was time for him to stop reading whatever it was that Chloe sent to him. He suddenly turned into a babysitter, thorou
“You’re awake. I never knew I could live to see you looking like a battered chicken.It’s such a sight to behold.” Declan mocked his friend while fixing his gaze on the scar on his forehead. He was doing everything possible to keep his anger in check, and Leonardo could tell his friend's true feelings, despite the relaxed front he was portraying. “Good to see you too.” He responded in a faint voice, his head resting on the pillow. The anesthesia he was administered was still affecting him, and his head ached so badly, despite all the painkillers he was given. Earlier on, Leonardo was driving to Elite Touch Medical Centre when a black minivan crossed him from nowhere and crashed directly into the driver’s side of his vehicle. The impact was so strong that if it had been an ordinary vehicle, he wouldn’t have lived to tell the story.However, he was lucky to have been driving one of Declan’s custom-made vehicles that had an extra layer of security, including bulletproof protection
“Doctor, am I okay? I'm not dying of any terminal illness, right?” Miranda had a plaading gaze, hoping his next words would encourage her. She was all alone in this world - without a family to call her own. She didn't even know anyone who could tell her about her past, as she suffered from amnesia. Despite everything she's been through, Miranda longed to live and have her own family. She wasn't ready to die so young, not when she didn't have a love life or any children to remember her by. Her greatest fears have always been dying without anyone around to remember her. Meanwhile, the prospect of being in a relationship scared her in a way she could never explain. Leonardo was the first man to get her body to respond to him, and she finally admitted she wasn't a lesbian after all. However, he ended up hurting her so much that she got panick attacks sometimes, by just remembering him. She has avoided him since that day, not bothering t find out anything about him.“Calm down, Miranda
“You’re awake,” Miranda spoke in a low and detached voice, making Leonardo aware that she regretted their encounter as much as he did. He looked the young lady up and down, taking in the hickeys and other marks he left all over her body.Watching her stand at the entrance of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around her body, he wondered why she seemed so nonchalant about what happened between them when he felt she was as regretful as he was. Droplets of water trailed from her hair onto her body as her chest rose up and down. When he took in the sight of water droplets settling on her collarbone, before getting lost in the towel around her chest, he gulped uneasily, sensing that his little member was getting giddy at the mere sight of Miranda in a towel.Leonardo’s mind suddenly had a fleeting thought. “Vilma never had such an effect on me.” However, as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he chastised himself for comparing Miranda to the gold digger. He didn’t notice that he
“Aaaaahhhh!!!” A slim and tall middle-aged man lay sprawled and naked on the ground in Bloomsbay Central prison. It was his cell room, but a few male prisoners who seemed to be with their boss surrounded him. Two men stood to his left side, as three others stood to his right. “Why do you keep screaming like a sissy, huh?” The leader roughly hit his ass with his right foot, exchanging a discreet glance with one of the three men, who began to undress himself.“Well, you just served two of us, and there are three more to go. So, suck it up and do your duties. I don’t want to gag you. Your groans are such a turn-on.” The man licked his lips and signaled the naked man to proceed, and the man began to scream once more. One would have thought that the guards outside the cell room would intervene in the illegal activity that was currently going on. However, they rather served as their lookouts, watching to ensure that the road was clear, and no superiors witnessed whatever was going on.Th
“How are you feeling?” Lulu asked as soon as Gilbert stepped out with a bandage wrapped around his right shoulder. The look of concern on her face shocked the young man so much that his guilt knew no bounds. “I’m fine. No need to worry about me,” Gilbert responded wryly, wincing from the sharp pain that just assaulted his body. What happened a few hours ago suddenly threw Lulu’s mind back, causing her gaze on him to be unreadable. She thought she was going to die, but Gilbert jumped and took the bullet for her. It still felt so surreal, as Mercedes aimed for her heart, and Lulu thought it was the end. Right now, Lulu saw Gilbert as her saviour, and nothing he said could deter her. Boss Vicker jumped in front of her when they were involved in an accident a few days ago. The heaviness in her heart at the thought of her husband lying in a coma because of her was unbearable. Dr. Leonardo mentioned that if Vicker Greenwood didn’t wake up before the day ended, it would only mean
In the forecourt of the Diaz Cartel mansion, numerous members trooped to the place, bidding farewell and giving their last respects to the figure who used to stand tall and lead them in all missions; dangerous and regular alike.Rafaela Diaz was a woman like no other, and it irked the young and old members of the cartel that a sickness like cancer was what it took to bring her down this way. She survived where many failed, but she still couldn’t conquer cancer. A young man stood before her picture, wept his heart out, as the others stood strongly behind him like a pine. Rafaela was the only mother figure he knew, but she was also gone.“Sé que era un niño muy testarudo, pero aun así me trataste como a tu hijo. Este mundo será difícil sin ti, pero sé que aún me cuidarás desde el más allá. Que te vaya bien, mamá. (I know I was a very stubborn child, but you still treated me like your son. This world will be difficult without you, but I know you'll still watch over me from the beyond. F
“What happened?” Declan asked the nurse as soon as he arrived at his mother’s ward. He feared what he might meet there, so he chose to first ask the nurse before going in. “The patient suffered an adverse reaction after her chemotherapy session in the morning. She’s stable now, so you can see her. Please go in. Dr. Leonardo would explain further.”The nurse directed Declan to his mother’s ward and watched him step away with heavy footsteps. Declan was worried about how long his mother would hold on till the baby was born.Dr. Leonardo gave them big news on the day they discovered that the babies in Selene’s womb could help cure Rafaela’s leukaemia, as he confirmed them to be a match. As a result, they have been hoping and praying that Rafaela should be around long enough for the child to be born. That way, they would have two bundles of joy, and still be able to save his mother also. Declan stood outside his mother’s ward, as he watched Dr. Leonardo busied himself with his mother. S
“Good morning, lady and gentlemen,” The company lawyer greeted, as soon as everyone was seated. He roamed his gaze across the room and realized that everyone was staring at him with expectant gazes. “As stated in the document in my hand, the CEO, Vicker Greenwood, declared that if anything were to ever happen to him, his wife, who is majority shareholder in Hidden Gem Entertainment, should assume the role of CEO. According to the decree of the CEO, I welcome the interim CEO, Ms. Lucinda Greenwood.”Lucinda walked in under the scrutinizing gazes of all the shareholders. She had so much grace and poise that no one could doubt her. However, it was still their money in question, and they still had to be careful about who they endorsed. “Greetings.” Lucinda spoke up as soon as she took her seat at the head of the table. She took in their shocked gazes and enunciated, “You don’t need to trust me. All I expect of you is to trust my husband’s judgments. If he has taken this company from gra
“Grandma, why are you still awake?” Selene walked toward Rafaela, who sat on the sofa, checking the door to see whether it was them. She was surprised at the level of stress she was putting herself through.“I couldn’t sleep,” Rafaela responded, her gaze on Selene’s stomach. “When I heard the news, I got scared.” She confessed. The woman thought it was Selene and her son who were involved in an accident, and even when she found out that it was someone else, she still didn’t feel okay. Her rich Spanish assent always made Selene love the woman more and more. However, she kept praying to the heavens that she would wait till she delivered her child, so that they could help treat her leukaemia.“So sorry. I thought you were already sleeping.” Selene responded sincerely. Rafaela never stayed up beyond nine, as they prescribed a lot of bed rest, so her condition wouldn’t worsen. Hence, when Selene and Declan exited the award venue, she thought about checking on Rafaela, only to conclude tha
“Doctor, h… how is my father?” Gilbert arrived at Elite Touch Medical Centre and introduced himself as Boss Vicker’s son. The nurses quickly showed him where his father was, as even they were wondering why no one had come for the couple yet. Lulu’s mother didn’t stay up, as she was an early sleeper and equally an early riser. Dr. Leonardo squinted at Gilbert and asked coldly. “Who are you?” Gilbert felt a bit embarrassed, as he was sure that Dr. Leonardo might have heard about him and his sister’s treacherous activities already. He was even the one who discovered what was wrong with his father before Vicker left the country to seek treatment elsewhere.“I know I’m the last person you wish to see here, but believe me when I say I really want to know how my father is doing. No evil intentions attached. “Dr, Leonardo watched him wordlessly, before turning toward Selene and saying, “Lulu is fine. We’re doing our best to save the baby as well. I believe her husband shielded her with his